What happened after the Europeans began growing sugarcane?

After Europeans began growing sugarcane in the 16th century, the demand for sugar surged, leading to the establishment of large plantations in the Americas and the Caribbean. This created a significant economic boom but also resulted in the brutal exploitation of enslaved African laborers, as Indigenous populations were often decimated by disease and violence. The transatlantic slave trade intensified, with millions of Africans forcibly transported to work on sugar plantations, fundamentally transforming economies and societies in the regions involved. Consequently, sugar became a highly valuable commodity, influencing global trade patterns and colonial policies.